Method of making a plurality of shingles from a singel sheet of material.



C. RUSSELL. METHOD OF MAKING A PLURALITY 0F SHINGLES FROM A SINGLE SHEET 0F MATERIAL. APPLICATION FILED IAN. a. I9I4.

1,274,605. Patented Aug. 6, 1918.

CAL'VAIN missu -F ram! mm) sTATEs PA'MIENT OFFICE.

METHOD or MAKING A rLURa I'rY or snmGLEs mom A SINGLE SHEET or MATEREEAL.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CALvIN RUssEL a citizen of the United States, and'resident u of Penn Yan, county ofYates, and State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Methods of Making a Plurality of Shingles from a Single Sheet of Material, of which the following is a specification.

My inventionhasfor its object an improved, method of rapidly and cheaply manufacturing shingles of special shapes, more particularly from paper or wool felt material impregnated with asphaltum or other suitable hydro-carbon and more especially to sub-divide a sheet .of the material from which the shingles are to be cut so that there shall be a minimum waste, while maintaining the proper and necessary proportions of the shingle structure, to enable it to be properly assembled with similar shingles to provide a roofing structure.

More specifically stated, my invention comprehends sub-dividing the sheet of material from which the shingles are to be made, by one or more zig -zag. or symmetrical reversing cuts arranged in the direction of one of the dimensions of the: sheet, and connecting cuts meeting the points or narrow portions of the zig-zag cuts and arranged in the direction of the other dimension of the sheet, wherebyinthe preferred form of shingle cut from such sheet there will be parallel sides and the-body pointed cor narrowed at one or both ends according to the design desired. In those cases where the shingles are to be cut to present rectangular lower parts when arranged on the roof, there 'will only i be the upper ends pointed, While, on the other hand, in.those cases where the shingles are to present pointed or diamond-shaped lower portions when arranged upon the roof, either the lower part alone or both 'ends of the shingle are pointed, but in the latter case this pointing is preferably different where great economy is desired, that is to say, the lower end' has a point of approximately ninety degrees, whereas the upper end may have a point approximating sixty degrees, more or less. My invention, therefor, comprehends broadly the sub-dividing of a sheet of flexible material of which the shingles are to be made, by a combination of zig-zag or reverse cuts and straight cuts which may be simultaneously made, or made in succession,-

iApplicationfiled January 3,

Specification ofLetters Patent. Patented Aug. 6, 1918,

1914. Serial n. 810,176.

the diiference in shingle structure produced being solely as to the special form of the dies which may be employed in the actual manufacture.

The particular feature npon which the novelty of, the special cutting depends resides inthe cutting of the sheet in such mank ner that the points or narrow portions of y the shingles are'formed by sub-dividing the body of the sheet in a way so that the mate.

rial which forms a point or narrow portion.

on one shingle is that portion of the sheet which is interposed between two parts of the sheet which form points or narrow portions of adjacent-shingles upon each side of the point or narrow portion of the first mentioned shingle; the shingles so produced having a total length equal to that required for properly overlapping similar shingles in a roof structure, and the saving of material over the construction of'a rectangular shingle being equal to a strip of the body material of a width-equal to the pointed or narrow end or ends of a shingle according. to the special angularity or shape employed,

and whether the shingle is pointed or narrow at one end only or at both ends. My improved -method of forming the shingles from av sheet of material will be better understood by reference to .the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a sheet inwhich I the line of cutting is indicated for making a shingle pointed atone end only; Fig. 2 is a similar plan view but illustrating the method of cutting where both single and double pointed shingles are to be made; Fig. 3 illustrates aplan view of a sheet so cut as to provide shingles in which both ends are 'pointed, and Figs. 4 and5 are similar views illustrating a modified form of cutting in which shingles are produced'pointed at one 7 or both ends.

These figures illustrate the general manner of cutting the sheets under the method of my invention and are by way of example only, the narrowed end or ends of the shingle being formed by straight lines meeting at an angle, said manner of forming the ends being simpler and cheaper in respect to the dies necessary than where the reversing cuts provide the sliingle with narrow end portion or portions of other shapes.

First referring to the cutting illustrated in Fig. 1, we have the rectangular body or sheet 2 divided throughout its length by a zig-zag cut 3 and the two serrated parts so formed further sub-divided respectively by the parallel, transverse and staggered arrangement of cuts 4 and 5. The cuts 4 extend from one series of the points of the zigzag cutsto the side of the sheet, whereas the cuts 5 extend from the other series of the points of the zig-zag cutting to the other side of the sheet. In this way shingles are produced of the right width and total length, made rectangular at one end and pointed at the-other. It will also be seen that with every set of these shingles so formed there will be two half shingles, and this is desirable because it necessarily follows in arranging the shingles upon the roof that alternate rows will have to terminate with half shingles. It will be further observed that there-is a saving in material equal to the total length of the sheet and of a width. equal to the distance between parallel lines through the two series of the points. In actual practice this saving of 'material varies from 20 to 30 per cent. of

the total material required for rectangular shingles where the shingle is approximately eight inches wide and ten incheslong. The proportion of these shingles is such that they overlap and engage each other in the actual roof so that the ultimate roof structure with shingles of the character here de-- scribed is just as waterproof and solid as if the rectangular shingles themselves were employed. One form of roof structure adapted to be made from shingles of this character is shownin Letters Patent No.

1,07 0,738,granted to me on August 19, 1913.

This great saving in shingle material required for properly covering a roof is due 'tothespeci al manner in which a plurality in this figure approximate the cuts 3 and 4 of Fig. 1 and produce the shingles A, similar to those in Fig. 1. The zig-zag cuts 6, which are in general parallel alinement to the zig-zag cuts 3, but with the points arranged in the reverse order, provide the pointed ends of the other shingles B and C. The double pointed shingles B are separated by the parallel cuts 5*, which correspond to the cuts 5 of Fig.1, but instead of terminating in the side of the sheet, they terminate in the points of the zigzag cuts 6.

In this manner the middle row of shingles B. may be formed with points at opposite ends of different angularity, that is to say, the points formed by the zigzag cuts 3 11151} approximate ninety degrees, while the points formed by the zig-zag cut 6 may approximate sixty degrees. These angularities or shapes of the pointed or narrow end portions may be varied, if so desired. The remaining parallel cut 7 between the other series of points and zig-zag cuts 6 extend to the edge of the sheet, so that we have by this cutting the shingles Cwhich correspond to the shingles A, but the pointed parts are sharper or approximately of sixty degrees instead of ninety degrees as in the shingles A. Moreover, for the shingles of a given length the length of the cuts 7 of the shingles C will be less than the cuts4 of the shingles A. The shingles A may be employed with either end up in the actual roof structure, according to whether the lower edges of the shingles are to be straight or pointed, whereas the shingles B and C are both intended to have their more pointed ends upward when arranged in the roof structure, the former providing diamond pointed effeet to the exposed portions of the shingles, while the latter produce the straight edge or rectangular effect to the exposed portions of the shingles. It is evident that the angularity of the points of the zigzag cutting 3 of Fig. '1' may correspond to the angularity of the points of the zigzag cut 6 of Fig. 2 or of any other angularity or narrowing shape which it is desirable to employin practice.

Referring now to the cutting shown in Fig. 3, I have arranged the zig-zag cuts and straight cuts corresponding to what is shown in 3, 5 and 6 for the shingles B of Fig. 2, but arranged so that all the shingles have points at opposite ends, and in which the points at one end are more pointed than at the other end. In the cutting of this arrangement of the zig-zag and parallel cuts 0 I also provide half shingles, but for reason already stated" the production of the half shingles is not objectionable as they are necessary in the arrangement of the shingles upon the root. In the cutting of this arrangement of zig-z ag and parallel cuts of Fig. 3, the length of the shingles ma run in the direction of the length or transversely of the sheet as desired. and in this particular case the width of the sheet should be relatively great if the shingles are'to run in the direction of the length of the sheet so as not to produce an excessive number of half shingles.

Referring now to the construction shown in Fig. 4, we have zig-Zag cuts 3 arranged transversely of the sheet, and parallel cuts 4 and 5 longitudinally of the sheet, and the said parallel cuts again severed (if desired) transversely by transverse straight cuts 8 intermediate of two successive zig-zag cuts 3 and 3. These zig-zag CIItS 3 are indicated as having their points in the reverse order of the points ofthe zig-zag cut 3 as in the case of Figs. 2 and 5 to form double pointed shingles when the straight cuts 8 are omitted.

In all of the cutting there is apercentage of saving of material over the material required in rectangular shingles as ordinarily employed, whether said shingles be trimmed for diamond pointed design or not, as said material when removed in pointing my improved shingles is used to form a portion of other shingles. As before pointed out, there was a savingof twenty to thirty per cent. in surface material required for covering a roof with shingles when out with points or narrowedportions at one end by the zigzag and parallel cutting-of Fig. 1, and this is increased in the particular cutting of Fig. 3, as in this case there may be a saving of approximity forty-five per cent. with a shingle ten inches'long, and eight incheswide, maximum dimensions;

It is also to bekept in mind that if the cutting shown in Fig. 1 has the zigzag cuts 3 in the direction of the length of the sheet,

there will be approximately no ha-lf shingles made, or at least only one or two to each sheet, but if the zig-zag cut is arranged transversely to the length of the sheet, then by having a sheet of great width, therewill; be one half shingle to every transverse row of full shingles. When this form of cutting is employed, it may beconsidered as illustrated in Fig. 4. The same general statement may be made in respect to-the half shingles in the arrangement of cutting shown in Fig. 2, but such half shingles will only be produced at the ends.

It is immaterial to my invention what particular construction of machine may be employed .for producing the zigzag and parallel cuts, as such may be made by dies on a stamping press, or upon a cylindrical cutting machine, as my invention is not restricted to any particular character of machine or means for producing the cuts or the angles of the points of the cuts, and I therefore do not restrict myself in this respect.

The material from which these shingles are preferably made is a wool felt material of uniform thickness impregnated with asphaltum to give a; soft and pliable body and provide sufficient hydrocarbon to exude to bind the shingles togetherwhen upon the roof and subjected to the suns rays, and with the surface covered witha vitreous material which may be of broken stone, slate or crushed brick for example, but; I do not restrict myself to this particular character of material, as the material may with any suitable material to makeit impervious; and shingles may be employedwith or without the vitreous coating. In fact, any suitable sheeting having body suflicient to form shingles and capableof being severed 'by cutters may be employed a for the purposes of my invention, but the material- .should be pliable or of tenacity which will permit cutting without cracking.

I have used the words zig-zag cuts in ageneric sense, meaning symmetrical re: verse cuts, and while I have preferred that the cuts shall be formed by straight cuts meeting at an angle to form angular or sharp points, it is to be understood that any reverse cutting may be employed so long as I obtain the narrow or relatively In this application no claim is'made to the shingle structures as articles of manufacture, as they will form 'subject matter of other applications, this 'case being re stricted to the method of proc'edurein the manufacture of such shingles.

Having thus described my invention, what Patent is': V

1. The herein described method of forming a plurality of shingle structures from a single sheet of material, which consists in severing the sheet in the direct-ion of one of its dimensions by a pluralityof revers- I claim and desire to secure by Letters in cuts formed by continuous cutting operatlons, the reversing cuts being oppositely directed and the reversing parts of the cuts being in the same transverse alinement, and also intermittently severing the strips formed bythc reversing cuts by a series pf separate parallel cuts formed in the sheet in the direction of its'other dimension, said parallel cuts terminating in reversing portions of the plurality of reversing cuts.

2. The hereindescribed method of forming a plurality of shingles {from a single sheet of material, which consists in severing the sheet by a pluralityof zig-zag cutsarranged side by side in the direction of oneof its dimensions, but -in which the points of the adjacent zig-zag cuts in the same alinement are oppositely directed, -and. severing the sheet in the direction of its other dimension by parallel cuts connecting the said oppositely directed adjacent points of severance of successive zig-zag cuts.

3. The hereindescribed method of form ing a plurality of shingles from a single sheet of material, which consists in severing the sheet by a series of zig-zag cuts in the direction of one of its dimensions, but in which the points of the adjacent zig-zag outs in the same alinement are oppositely directed, and in which further, the angularity of the points of the successive adjacent zig-zag cuts is different, and severing the sheet in the direction of its other dimensionby staggered parallel cuts connecting the said oppositely directed adjacent points of severance of successive zig-zag cuts, whereby individual shingles are formed having points at opposite ends, in'which the points at one end are of greatly less angularity than the points at the other end.

4 The hereindes'cribed method of formof its dimensions by a plurality of staggered parallel cuts, terminating in the points of the zig-zag cuts, whereby shingles are simultaneously formed having three distinct shapes, one double pointed with diflerent angularit-ies for each of its points, and the other two. shingles of general rectangular form and having points at one end only but of diiferent angularities.

5. The herein described method of form-- ing a plurality of shingle structures from a single, sheet of material, which consists in severing the sheet of material in the direct-ion of one of its dimensions with a plurality of symmetrical reversing continuous cuts, but in which the narrow or pointed portions of adjacent reversing cuts in the same alinement are oppositely directed, severing the sheet of material in the direction of its other dimension by parallel cuts con- 1.

necting said oppositely directed adjacent narrow or pointed portions of the reversing cuts and extending to the side edges of the sheet, and also severing the sheet of material in the last mentioned direction and between the adjacent reversing cuts by other series of parallel separate cuts.

In testimony of which invention, I hereunto set my hand.

V CALVIN RUSSELL. Vitnesses GEo. A. CLARK, 'FRED L. Rooms. 

